‘Why Nigerians should vote for Jonathan in 2015'

ON JULY 24, 2014 ·

Despite the challenges, facing the present administration under President Goodluck Jonathan, many believe that he is working very hard to reposition the country. Those in this school of thought believe the president is doing well, even though he is not making a noise about it. One of those who share this view is the Director General, House-to-House for Democracy, Hon. Ogidi Bara Benjamin. In this interview, he speaks on various issues with particular emphasis on the achievements of President Goodluck Jonathan. Excerpts:

What is your group, House-to-House Campaign Organisation for Democracy all about?

House-to-House Campaign Organisation for Democracy is a political outfit that has taken the centre-stage in contemporary politics in Nigeria. Our organisation believes strongly in the tenets of democracy to its fullest, hence our idea of preaching democratic precedence and the need for a continuum throughout the nooks and cranny of the country and beyond. We are on a mission to enlighten the electorate from house to house,, Village to village, husband to wife,youth- to- youth,man- to- man and so on .

Our vision is to inform, educate and sensitise Nigerians to support the re-election of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan massively for the purpose of good governance and continuity in office as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria beyond 2015.

But our mission is to carry out pro-Jonathan programmes through participatory democracy from house to house, one man, one vote advocacy campaign for the actualization of Goodluck COMEBACK 2015 project. To drum up support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid and to take this altruistic mission, without trepidation, prejudice or persecution, house to house to all regions of the federation, from the grassroots and to the National level and to Nigerians in the Diaspora.. There is national rally coming up on August 16 tagged #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 in Abuja.

Our target is to sensitise the electorate about the goodwill of President Goodluck Jonathan. As a group, we have identified the onerous task of re-orienting Nigerians, especially the youths on the need to sustain this nascent democracy that has come knocking at our various door posts, via a particular conduit of an irresistible value called President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR. We have declared our unwavering support for Mr. President because of the monumental success of His Magical Transformation unprecedented in the political history of Nigeria.

What would you say are the achievements of President Jonathan since he assumed office after the death of his predecessor, the late Umaru Yar’Adua?

These achievements could be stated seriatim via his policies and programmes that have been translated to laudable projects and services. Without sounding patronising, the policies and programmes of this administration have turned the fortunes of our beleaguered/hostile economy in the past for the better, and the best among sister African Nations.

This has culminated in Nigeria being elected the number one and most preferred investment destination in Africa and the world at large, in spite of the security challenges bedeviling the Nation, which of course, is being inflicted by some few individuals bent on frustrating the unprecedented transformation of Nigeria and Nigerians by the present Federal Government under the auspices of His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Can you specifically mention some of the achievements of President Jonathan?

His achievements can be recounted in the following areas: One is the automobile industry since the launch of the National Automotive Policy on August 23, 1993. Very little had been achieved in the automobile industry until President Goodluck Jonathan came on stream. A man that is blessed by God cannot be cursed! That is my belief because he has continued to forge ahead despite the efforts of few selfish power elites to frustrate him and draw back the hand of the clock in Nigeria.

It is amazing that the man that is tagged “clueless” has consistently provided the clues that have gradually, steadily and consistently transformed every sphere of Nigeria’s socio-economic life. Most of the people criticising this administration know that if given a chance, President Jonathan would reposition Nigeria in such a short time that it would shock the world. But I can assure you that no matter the challenges, Nigerians would be shocked that Jonathan would take Nigeria to a height unprecedented in the leadership history of the country.

Just in three years of his administration, the man called clueless has been able to bring to Nigeria as well as revive three Automobile Companies, which is on the average of one per year since he assumed office.

In case you missed it, do you know that Jonathan has totally revived Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN) which now produces Peugeot 301 in Kaduna?

Do you know that Jonathan has brought the almighty NISSAN to Nigeria, which now produces all kinds of SUV’s, black Nissan patrol vehicles? The company also plans to produce NISSAN Almera and NP300, starting in early May 2015.

What about Innoson Motors Manufacturing Company? This is a wholly locally-owned auto company commissioned by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at Nnewi Local Government Area, Anambra State. The company has now produced varieties of vehicles including SUV’s and Commuter Buses which have flooded the Nigerian auto-market and have enjoyed the country’s patronage by all standards.

The Innoson Motors have also enjoyed beyond boundaries, the patronage of the H2H Campaign Organisation for Democracy. If those with lots of clues could not make things happen in decades of rulership, wouldn’t you rather support and vote for the “Clueless GEJ who has the Midas touch to get moribund things all working again to suit modern trend of development of infrastructure? This man called GEJ has really re-defined cluelessness and has given it a positive outlook.

I think the Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary would have to do the needful by officially including this re-defined positive outlook of cluelessness.

Let us go to the rail transportation sector. Do you know that against all odds, Nigeria and Nigerians have enumerable good news under the present Federal Government led by our dear President, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR. Mr President in his campaign in 2011 promised Nigerians that his administration will overhaul and revamp the moribund rail way system which is now a realistic project, as a means of transportation in several parts of the country. As I speak to you, Mr President has brought it to light such that Lagos-Kano trains convey about 14,000 persons daily at a minimum fare of N1,500? Isn’t this commendable?

On road infrastructure, the present administration also has a very good story to tell.

Under President Jonathan’s leadership, Nigerian roads are wearing a new constructed look in the light of the massive rehabilitation/construction of major highways across the country. To mention just a few, the roads that come to mind are like the Benin-Ore, Gombe-Potiskum, Jos-Bauchi, Lagos-Ibadan, Owerri-Onitsha, Abuja-Lokoja and the popular East-West roads amongst others. The ongoing construction of the Second Niger Bridge linking the East to other parts of Nigeria in other to boost Economic activities of the country is also one of the remarkable achievements of the Jonathan administration.

Apart from the achievements I have mentioned, one area that Nigerians should commend Jonathan are the bold steps he is taking in the power sector. Even though Nigeria is not there yet in terms of power supply, I can tell you that President Jonathan is the first Nigerian President to build 10 new power plants for power generation and distribution. Some of them include the Geregu 1 and 2 located at Kogi State and the Gas Power plants in Gbarain Kingdom in Bayelsa State. We should not also forget the on-going construction of dams across the Northern part of Nigeria with the most notable being the Zungeru Dam in Niger State and many more too numerous to mention.

In the aviation sector, the story is the same. It is worth mentioning that under President Jonathan’s leadership, Nigeria has witnessed safer air-flights as a result of the improvements in Airports facilities and the 22 remodeled Airports across the country. Jonathan has also launched satellites for communication/weather forecasting to prevent unsafe flights into space. As President of the Federal Republic, Dr Jonathan has made history by being the first ever to construct an International Airport for the Easterners. This is one project that past administrations had been playing politics with.

Despite the challenges occasioned by neglect of past administrations, one sector which President Jonathan has worked very hard to improve is that of education.

Under the leadership of Mr President, Nigeria has witnessed the establishment of about 15 New Federal Universities including those for the Police and Maritime studies, several Federal Polytechnics for training of manpower on technology-related fields and built 125 special schools for Almajiries in the North. He has also granted N200 billion for the rehabilitation of all Nigerian Universities. With all these myriads of achievements, we can boldly say we need continuity to consolidate them as our appetites are increased for more development knowing full well that Mr President has delivered on his promises to Nigerians and we want him to keep doing it in his service to God, humanity and his strict adherence to the mandate given to him by the people of our great country Nigeria. In Continuity We Believe.

Do you think President Jonathan is doing enough to diversify the economy?

It is an incontrovertible fact that Nigeria under Jonathan has reduced its food imports by about 40 per cent and increased its local production of rice, cassava, sorghum, cotton and cocoa in percentages ranging from 25 to 56 in the last two years.

For the first time since independence, the Nigerian agricultural sector is attracting unprecedented Foreign Direct Investment. Over the past two years, the sector has attracted $ 4 billion in private sector executed letters of commitment to invest in agricultural value chains, from food crops, to export crops, fisheries and livestock.

The number of private sector seed companies grew from 10 to 70 within one year. Over $ 7 billion of investments from Nigerian businesses have been made to develop new fertilizer manufacturing plants, which will make Nigeria the largest producer and exporter of fertilizer in Africa. It is also noteworthy that agricultural lending as a share of total bank lending has risen from two per cent to six per cent in two years.